First Omicron Real-World Evidence Released by South Africa

December 15, 2021

New real-world evidence (RWE) released by Discovery Health, South Africa’s largest private health insurer, and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) shines a light on the Omicron variant. According to the analysis, based on real-world data from a database of 3.7 million people, 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine only lowers the risk of infection by 33%. However, it reduces hospitalization by 70%. In adults, Omicron is 29% less likely to result in hospitalization. However, it raises the risk by 20% in children.

In reference to Omicron accounting for 90% of cases in South Africa, Discovery Health CEO Dr. Ryan Noach says, “The Omicron-driven fourth wave has a significantly steeper trajectory of new infections relative to prior waves. National data shows an exponential increase in both new infections and test positivity rates during the first three weeks of this wave, indicating a highly transmissible variant with rapid community spread of infection.”